Page 75 of Stick Around,
“That’s if she wants to stay.” Kellan rubbed the back of his neck. “And if she does, what then? The four of us what? Keep doing whatever this is?”
I glanced at him. “Getting cold feet?”
“No.” Kellan’s answer came quickly. “Just thinking out loud. It’s new territory for all of us.”
The Ferris wheel was loaded now and began going at full speed.
“What if it doesn’t work out?” I voiced the fear that had been gnawing at me. “What if she stays, and we wreck everything?”
“What if she doesn’t stay, and we spend the rest of our lives wondering what could have happened? Look, I know it’s intense. It’s fast. It’s not conventional by any stretch of the imagination. But when has anything worth having ever been easy?”
I couldn’t argue with that. Nothing about La Cuesta had been easy, but it had been worth every struggle and every setback.
“We need to talk to her.”
“Tonight?” Kellan ran a hand through his hair.
“Not tonight.” I shook my head. “Tonight’s supposed to be fun. No pressure.”
The Ferris wheel came to a stop, and the first cart to be let off was Reid and Quinn. Her smile was visible even from where we stood.
“You should go get in line.” I nudged his arm.
Kellan stepped forward but then paused. His eyes flickered between where Reid was helping Quinn off the ride and me. “You should go next.”
I smirked. “You know, when you suggested the Ferris wheel, I was wondering when you’d realize how high it was.”
“Shut up.” He shoved me in the direction of the line. “Not a word about this.”
“A word about what?” Quinn came to a stop next to me and looked between us, confusion creasing her brow.
Kellan waved a dismissive hand. “I don’t want to make you ride this thing three times in a row. That’s borderline cruel and unusual punishment.”
I offered Quinn my arm. “Shall we?”
I led her toward the Ferris wheel, the small bag containing the bracelet a welcome weight in my pocket.
Chapter 24
That Time I Rode More Than Just Horses
Quinn
“This seat wobbles more than Tater Tot when he sees treats,” I joked, trying to mask my nervousness as Enzo slid in beside me and the attendant lowered the safety bar.
I’d just gone on the damned thing with Reid, but that didn’t stop the fear from crawling up my spine. Logic told me it was perfectly safe because thousands rode it every day without incident, but my imagination kept conjuring images of bolts suddenly giving way or the safety bar deciding this was the moment to malfunction.
“Ranger practically vibrates when I give him a peppermint.” Enzo’s hand landed on my thigh, squeezing it gently. “If it helps, Kellan is scared of heights and chickened out.”
My eyes shot to the man in question who gave me a tight smile and a wave. “But this was his idea!”
The wheel jerked into motion, lifting us a few feet before stopping to load the next car. I put my hand over Enzo’s and he promptly flipped his and entwined our fingers.
“I think Kellan had hoped his desire to ride it with you would outweigh his fear. Make sure you give him shit about it.” Enzo’s lips curved into the kind of smile that transformed his entire face.
The wheel jolted upward again. With each stop and start, we climbed further away from the chaos of the fairground until the noise below became a distant hum.
“It’s so peaceful up here,” I whispered, as if speaking too loudly might break the spell. The lights of the fairground sprawled beneath us like fallen stars, and the evening breeze carried the faint scent of fried food and cotton candy.